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How does the standard model of systems consolidation explain long-term memory?

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Patient H.M. and short-term memory loss explained — hippocampus Learn about Henry Molaison (better known as “patient H.M.”), whose short-term memory loss following a lobotomy helped researchers to understand how brain structures are related to brain function.

The standard model of systems consolidation posits that long-term memories undergo a process of reorganization over time. Initially, the hippocampus is essential for the formation and storage of new memories, particularly those related to facts and events.

According to this model, memories are gradually transferred from the hippocampus to the cortex. As this consolidation process progresses, the memory traces become increasingly stable and integrated into the cortical network. Eventually, the memories become independent of the hippocampus, meaning the cortex becomes sufficiently capable of supporting their recall on its own.1

This theory contrasts with other perspectives, such as the multiple trace theory, which argues that the hippocampus remains necessary for the long-term retrieval of context-rich episodic memories.1